


Rodentia

by mothicalcreatures (laelreenia)



Series: Mac's Rats (one-shots) [1]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: African HeroRATS, Autistic MacGyver, Emotional Support Animals, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rats, Therapy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-04
Updated: 2016-11-04
Packaged: 2018-08-28 22:40:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8465692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laelreenia/pseuds/mothicalcreatures
Summary: Mac's therapist suggests he get an emotional support animal.





	

When Mac’s therapist suggested that he consider getting an emotional support animal, Mac found he really liked the idea. He liked to think he had a relatively good handle on his PTSD, but it was and always would be a work in progress and Mac knew his fair share of soldiers with emotional support dogs who said they were the best thing that had happened to them.

Mac wasn’t sure he’d get a dog, dogs were pretty high maintenance for someone who was away from home a lot. Not to say that another pet wouldn’t be high maintenance, any pet would be another life that Mac was looking after, but a cat at least would not require walking multiple times a day. The problem there was the fact that Bozer was allergic to cats. So those were two animals Mac wrote off from the get go. 

“What about a snake?” Riley suggested. “Snakes are chill, you could get a python.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be tracking the location of the bad guy?” Jack asked, glancing at Riley through the rear view mirror. 

“I’ve got him, we’re headed in the right direction,” Riley said. “Or you could get a lizard,” she added, abruptly changing the subject back to potential emotional support animals for Mac. “What are those like log shaped lizards with the blue tongues?”

“Skinks?” Mac suggested.

“Yeah those, you could get one of those.”

“I’ll think about it.”

 

Mac didn’t get a snake or a skink, in fact the search for a suitable animal to be an emotional support animal got put on hold for a little while. He did want to get an emotional support animal, but there were other things happening with work that he needed to deal with first. 

At his next meeting with his therapist she brought up that emotional support animals were found to be beneficial for people with autism.

Mac had nodded and agreed, assuring her that he did fully intend to get an emotional support animal and that reluctance to do so was not the reason he hadn’t done it yet.

She suggested Mac make a list of animals he thought would suit him best, to which Mac pointed out that it wasn’t narrowing down a list that was the problem, it was a matter of logistics with his job and his roommate’s allergies. 

 

It was Jack who ended up suggesting rats.

“Sure they only live about two-three years, but… they’re small, furry, and it would pretty easy for Bozer to care for them while you’re away,” Jack said.

Mac was quiet for a moment, the gears in his brain turning loudly, before he said, “Yeah, I like that. I’ll start looking into rats tomorrow.”

“Or we could go to the pet store today,” Jack said. “See what they’ve got.”

Mac shook his head. “No, there’s a specific kind of rat I want. You can get them at pet stores.” Mac wasn’t entirely sure he’d be able to get one, but it was worth a shot.

 

He got two. It had taken a little bit of string pulling to get them, plus calling in a favor from an old friend, but by the end of the month Mac was bringing home two African giant pouched rats, specifically of the HeroRAT variety. Mac had gotten to know some of these rats while doing landmine removal while he was in the military. The ones that worked in the field weren’t adoptable,  [ unless of course you wanted to adopt a virtual one ](https://www.apopo.org/en/adopt/order/subscribe/subscription) , but the ones Mac had been able to adopt were ones that had failed the test to become accredited to work in the field.

They were two sisters, named Pip and Mickey, from a litter of five. The other three siblings had passed their tests and were on their way to the field to sniff out landmines. Mac had adopted the both of them because he hadn’t wanted to separate them. Though really, having two rats would be good so they wouldn’t get lonely when Mac had to be away. 

Mac was lounging on the couch with Pip and Mickey curled up on his chest when Bozer got home. 

“Mac, I thought you said you were getting rats.”

“They are rats,” Mac said, setting his book down. “They’re African giant pouched rats.”

“African giant- and why did you get those instead of a regular rat?”

“Because these are bomb disposal rats.”

“Bomb disposal rats.”

“Well not officially, they didn’t pass their test, but they do technically have the training to detect landmines.”

Bozer chuckled. “I’m not sure why I’m surprised. I guess it makes sense for an ex-bomb tech like yourself to have not-quite-bomb-tech rats.” 

Mac laughed and Pip raised her head to give Mac a sleepy disgruntled look before going back to sleep. Mac gave her a few pets in apology for waking her.

“Well, I’ll leave you and your weirdly large rats to nap on the couch, I’m gonna make dinner, you want anything in particular?”

Mac shook his head. “I’ll be good with whatever you make. Oh, there’s some fish in the fridge that I got for Pip and Mickey so don’t use that for anything.”

“I’m assuming those are the rats?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright, I won’t touch it. No fish for dinner tonight. Actually… Is the canned tuna off limits too?”

“Nah, just the stuff in the fridge.”

“Great,” Bozer said. “How do tuna melts for dinner sound?”

“That sounds really good actually.”

“How many you want?”

“Two.”

“Alright, two it is Mac n’ cheese,” Bozer said, heading for the kitchen.

Mac groaned and Bozer laughed.

“Sorry, sorry, couldn’t help myself.”

Mac sighed, shaking his head, though he was grinning a little, as he settled back into the couch to continue reading. 

  
  


“These cannot be real rats,” Riley said, as held she a piece of banana above Pip, which Pip promptly grabbed and started eating with gusto. 

“They’re not true rats, as in they’re not the genus  _ Rattus, _ ” Mac said, “They’re pouched-rats, which are in a different family than true rats. But they’re still rodents.”

Riley nodded. “So they’re rats.” 

Mac smiled, laughing a little. “They’re rats.”

“I didn’t know you could have them as pets,” Jack said. 

“I wasn’t sure either,” Mac admitted. “And I don’t think they are available as pets for the most part, but between requesting them for emotional support animals, my current job and past work history, and a bit of string pulling I was allowed to be a special case.”

“So if Bozer asks…”

“I was a special case because I was requesting them as emotional support animals combined with previous experience with them when I was in the military.”

“The military’s not the ones who are training the rats though, right?” Riley asked.

“No, it’s a humanitarian non-profit,” Mac said. “We just happened to be in the same place at the same time and it was in the interest of both parties to work together.”

Mickey was now nosing round Riley, having smelled the banana and wanting some herself. Riley broke off a piece and set it on the ground in front of Mickey.

“Have you got their cage all set up?” Riley asked.

“Yeah, I set it up in my room, I had to move my desk to make room for it, cause it’s big, but I’d rather have their cage in my room than anywhere else.”

“Easier access if you need them after a nightmare,” Jack said with a nod.

“Yeah, that makes sense,” Riley said. “Has Bozer seen them?”

“Yeah, he saw them when he got in from work last night,” Mac said, scooping Pip up and setting her on his lap.

Pip, not in the mood to sit still, chose to climb Mac’s arm to see if his shoulder might make a suitable perch or if climbing onto his head would be the better option. 

Riley had her phone out to take pictures in a heartbeat.

 

It was very easy to adjust to having animals in the house. Pip and Mickey liked Bozer, so when Mac was away it made it all the easier for Bozer to take care of them. When Mac was home, and the girls were up for it, one or both of them, would just chill on his person. Mac had invested in a couple hoodies so that one could chill in the hood or on his shoulders and the other could hang out in the front pouch.

It felt good. There was no better feeling than coming home from an exhausting mission and getting to cuddle with his favorite two rodents.

**Author's Note:**

> Guys HeroRATS are literally The Coolest Thing Ever. They do such good work. They not only detect landmines but they can also be trained to detect TB as well.
> 
> If you didn't visit the link in the story, you can actually adopt/sponsor a rat online at the APOPO website. The link in the story will take you to the adoption page, [and here's a video about it too. ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN0UL3bMQe4)


End file.
